Independent Verifier for OECD's Blue Dot Network

Challenge

The Blue Dot Network is a voluntary certification scheme for major infrastructure projects around the world. 

Launched by the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) in April 2024, the objective is to encourage investment towards projects in the energy, transport, technology and water sectors that can demonstrate they will have a positive and sustainable impact on communities.

Projects that wish to pursue certification must prove they are meeting strict economic, social, environmental and governance criteria, with all relevant evidence and documentation verified by an independent and approved third-party.

Approach

Ricardo was appointed as an Independent Verifier by OECD in 2024 to assess applicant submissions.

Project owners and/or sponsors pursuing certification must first undertake self-assessment against a certification framework based on pre-defined elements. These include, for example, evidence that the designs align with 2050 net zero emissions targets; that the project has been developed under sound financial management with full debt transparency; and will operate to the highest standards of sustainability, inclusivity and respect for labour and human rights.

As the independent certification entity, our experts are responsible for reviewing the submitted self-assessments, for verifying supporting evidence, and for establishing whether additional information is required from an applicant. 

Certification is finally issued when, in the opinion of our assessors, all evidence and data sources prove satisfactory.

Outcomes

In addition to our previous experience of providing policy and sustainability advisory to governments and infrastructure owners throughout the world, a key factor in the Blue Dot Network Secretariat’s decision to appoint Ricardo as one of its launch certification partners was our capabilities in providing accredited engineering assurance services for complex programmes. Our assurance teams, for example, have performed a range of auditing and verification roles in the transport sector, assessing quality or safety standards on projects such as the construction of the Taiwan High Speed Railway, the extension of the Bangkok Metro, and the launch of the Dubai Tram network.